


first spark

by lophiiiformes (skrillzee)



Series: aspen drabbles [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Character Study, Computer Programming, Medical Procedures, Organ Transplantation, Original Character(s), Robot/Human Relationships, Shapeshifting, Superheroes, Superpowers, X-men Inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 20:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18453608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skrillzee/pseuds/lophiiiformes
Summary: a drabble focusing around red herring during shriek's first attack.





	first spark

wielding these powers is more than enough of a reason to live in fear. not only can they hurt the wrong people, but it's the equivalent of painting a target on your back announcing **i am not entirely human.** finding individuals in the same mess is hard to come by, and it creates a smaller bar for entry for those that would rather have them exterminated. this isn't without reason, as **some of us really are monsters. and it's the responsibility of the rest of us to ensure things don't get out of hand.**

this hasn't been an easy task, but its never felt impossible either. with the few friends that are willing to support them, and help them patch up after the most difficult of fights things have been manageable. but with the things they spend their free time doing, it's hard to stay completely confident and loyal to the cause. hearing the things humans say on a day to day basis, it's easy to sympathize with those that destroy the town. humans have every right to live in fear of us, and with that fear they choose to cast us all down. they'd rather cage us in the forest like animals, like we aren't sentient, like we aren't aware that things could be better.

they really do get it.

**it really sucks to be put down for being something you never chose to be.**

but returning that hate with more hate isn't going to solve anything. it will just make the monsters as evil as the humans that admonish them. even they know that.

hearing the familiar sound of the screams of the city they've ended up calling home prompts them to wade through the piles of dirty and clean clothes, searching for the suit one of their secret allies created just for them.  **i only hope they don't get hurt because of me... all i can do is try to keep them safe.** geometric shades of blue that glow under the cover of darkness ensure anyone that sees them at least feel a brief reprieve of calm, reminding them that there is someone on the other side looking out for them despite it all. shifting their hair to look more akin to feathers than the bundle of curls they always sport ensures they  **can't** get recognized as anything other than red herring. they elect to stand on the edge of the couch next to the window before opening it. as much as it's uncomfortable, it will be  _much_ easier than navigating through the messy floor when they transform into a pigeon and fly away.

the sound of screaming may be easy to come by, but with the hearing range of a pigeon the rest becomes much easier... but what's far away sounds so close. it's already ringing in their ears, so much the fact that getting much closer feels deafening. the feathers covering their ears do nothing to stop it... they soon elect the better choice would be landing and switching to the form of a panther, running through the crowd to find the source of the noise. seeing the rubble fall and navigating through the crowd proves to be a challenge, but those blue, glimmering dots decorate their back and enough people let them squeeze through. people are familiar enough with them to know what they're trying to do... but the sight of skyscrapers crumbling as if they've been aging for years with no visible outside force inspire as little hope in red herring as it does the people running away.

**but i have to try.**

they arrive on the scene, initially afraid they're too late. such tall testaments to human innovation have fallen in a matter of seconds, and while there aren't any streetlights the smell of dust, rubble, and blood remain potent in the air... a gorilla should have the strength and accuracy to pull off these chunks of lost buildings enough to free whoever is still breathing... it can't be a lost cause. they've been faster, but they've been much slower too. still managing to save at least half of the victims. pulling one away, seeing the sheen of sweat and blood, but the sight of breathing hasn't been lost on them.  _ **it's going to be okay... i found you.**_

pulling the rest of the rubble  **off** of the unfamiliar figure before carrying them to a bench still in tact to lie down on... it's going to be fine. realizing they haven't even seen the cause of this, they look around. it wouldn't be the first time tsunami broke out of jail, summoning another tornado as a 'love letter' to them that they're missed. they can deal with another situation where luster buys his way out of solitary confinement ( ignoring the fact that they'd need to find some time to do _something_ about their bank account so they can stop doing this ) claiming he wants to check on his precious company only to make others fall...

**but who screamed so loudly?**

maybe it was a civilian using their powers on accident... they need to get in touch with them! they keep looking in the rubble for more people that might have survived... it'd be terrible if they hurt themselves just because they weren't acting with any supervision. surely they can help with that. they can get a controlled environment to practice in, manage their volume. powers are a muscle that need to be trained, and they've had enough experience knowing they can help them. finally, a monster that they can help instead of just humans...  _it almost feels like a betrayal to never do anything about them_.

then, that scream. it's so loud, it's impossible to put a finger on what it is. metallic, but human. barbaric, but desperate. they can feel their lungs bubbling and bursting, caving in because  **if they didn't know any better, they'd say the monster is right behind them.** the red herring gets shocked out of their form, human body with feathered hair pointed up akin to a static cling.  **did my heart stop? am i dead? i feel like i shouldn't be alive right now...**

they don't remember anything following that. they wake up in a complete haze, with an unfamiliar feeling in their chest. ears with a much more familiar  **sting** , not too dissimilar from rubbing alcohol on an open wound. the machinery greets them with a calm voice, stating their vital signs and how long they've been asleep. they don't even notice the iv in their arm until it's pointed out to them that they needed to stay on it to prevent from malnutrition and dehydration. while they don't weep, tears still fall out of their eyes and roll down their temples to the pillow underneath them. they've failed before, but never so close to death. what they faced felt so above a monster, it would seem unjust to call it of this world.  **do the loa have something against me for using my powers the wrong way?**

before they get lost in their thoughts for too long, a familiar voice taps the android reading off their chart. "that's enough, katie."  **gale...** they can at least hold some solace in the fact that they can maintain their privacy. "do you feel lightheaded? don't talk. just nod or shake your head." they nod slowly when their ally asks them the first question. blinking a few times, the blurry room finally gets into focus. gale's aperture in place of an eye wind into focus on their face at about the same, and his presence honestly gets them to smile in relief. that unassuming face never means anything good or bad, but if they had the strength they could hug him right now. his brows furrow at him, typing away at a holographic keyboard they summon in front of themselves.

"warped... psychological... state..." gale types away the date and time of them waking up as he speaks, and they find a hard time not laughing at the fact that he can still crack jokes in their state. their smile twitches and falters as they let out a harsh breath of joy, falling into laughter. "what did i say about talking? who's the doctor here?" he smirks as he turns to face them again, still adjusting their aperture to get a good look at their state.

" _laughter's the best medicine, right?_ "

"as long as it doesn't hurt."

he peels off the blankets and unbuttons the hospital gown for them, showing the ghosts of stitches and staples from recent surgeries. gale's ice cold hands trace the incisions they can't see at the sides of their chest. "you owe me. if i didn't send any emts we'd be at your funeral." he pulls a gummy candy out of his pocket, guiltlessly eating in front of someone that hasn't had anything in weeks. "replaced your heart and lungs. old ones sprung a few leaks. had to do hemodialysis to get rid of the extra bubbles."

the medical jargon wasn't something they're unfamiliar with, but that never made it any less foreign. there were at least some things they understood. the reason why their chest felt foreign was because it wasn't theirs anymore. "ear drums were gone, never seen that one before." he points out through snacking and pointing at the air with a worm. his fluffy hair bounces with the urgency he turns towards kamal with, "even if you make a perfect recovery in two months, **you won't stand a chance against shriek. no one can.** "

**...so that's what they call it.**

gale presses his palms into the pillow around their head, " **don't go out there again. we need to find something else.** "

**Author's Note:**

> if you're interested in playing the demo, i have it available on itch.io! ( https://koimarina.itch.io/aspen ) we're planning on releasing it at the start of next year, and i might do some more character studies in the meantime since i remember a while back people wanted to know more about the world and everyone. i've been thinking of unique ways to go about it, but i feel like considering my school and work schedule this is the most efficient means of doing it for now.


End file.
